


Aloe

by watermelloon (linumlea)



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: F/M, blood mention, nothing very graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-03-29
Packaged: 2018-05-29 23:06:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6397666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/linumlea/pseuds/watermelloon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Karen lives her own life, but the Punisher insists on showing up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aloe

She wasn't sure when it started, but at some point she realized she felt watched pretty much every time she went outside. Just a silent presence, far away, but a pair of eyes trained unwaveringly on her, whether she went out to get groceries or walked to the office. It usually disappeared when she entered a relatively safe space or was with someone who could protect her.

It was a bit insulting, really. As if he didn't know she was capable of taking care of herself.

Until one day when a guy started chasing her after she left work. Karen could run in heels just fine, but the guy was determined. She was almost ready to just give up, but then she heard a thump behind her, a body slamming into the pavement and she looked over her shoulder.

"Frank," Karen said breathlessly. Her legs felt a bit wobbly.

"You alright?" he asked. She could only nod, waiting to be able to catch a breath. She exhaled deeper.

"Is he…?" Karen pointed to the body on the ground, uncertain.

Frank shook his head. "I didn't kill him, if that's what you are asking. Do you want him to be?"

"No, no," she protested vigorously. Then she noticed the way his shoulders relaxed, as if he was anxious to hear her response.

"See you around, Karen."

"Wait," she stopped him. "Thanks for watching out for me."

"Someone has to, since Red got other things to do," he replied, but he didn’t sound very spiteful. He turned around ready to walk away.

"Frank, how are you?" she called after him. "I haven't seen you since that day."

"Doing my job. Just like you are doing yours," he twitched his head in her direction. "I have been reading the articles. You have a knack for it, for writing."

He was smiling genuinely, but it seemed strangely strained, as if he forgot how to do that properly.

"Yeah, I uh, I got a great editor," she smiled fleetingly as well. "But that wasn't what I was asking. How are you, really? How are you doing?"

"You would be surprised," he replied, somber again. "I'm doing good. But it's a not a time for heartfelt talks – call the police, let them cuff this asshole. Tell them he tripped and knocked himself out or something. You know the drill. Night, Karen."

"Goodnight," she said, but he was gone already.

 

She didn't see him for a while. A month passed by uneventfully, with the exception of frequent get-togethers with Foggy. He was doing great in his new job, said he was on a good way to a promotion - she was feeling glad for him, for his accomplishments. On the other hand she missed Matt, but he was nowhere to be found.

One day she came back home from the office well after midnight, having spent a whole day researching yet another scoop. She trudged heavily up to the door, eyes bleary with exhaustion, but she stopped dead in her tracks when she realized the door was cracked open. Karen was pretty damn sure she closed it when she left.

She felt for the pepper spray in her bag, taking it out slowly while carefully eyeing the frame, looking for some clues. It looked like whoever broke in didn't damage the lock, perhaps picking it instead. She blinked and frantically searched for keys, but they were where she always put them, in a small pocket in the inside of the bag.

She probably should have called the police, but she pushed the door instead, peering inside her flat. There was a lamp turned on in the main room, the one she very rarely used. Karen swallowed thickly and took step after step, frantically looking around.

"Sorry for scaring you," she jumped up one foot in the air when she heard a gruff voice.

"Oh god," Karen pressed a hand to her chest. "What the hell, Frank?!"

"Sorry," he repeated, a hint of smile in his voice. He peered up on her from where he was lying on the couch. He was taking so much place his feet were dangling off the armrest.

"What's going on? Why are you here?"

"I had a little trouble and no one to go to with it. I think I bled onto the couch, sorry 'bout that."

"You- what? Bled? Jesus, Frank," she rushed to him, prompting him to show the wound. It looked bad and she hissed just at the sight of it, but there were worse things she saw him live through.

Fifteen minutes later, having fetched the first-aid kit and patched Frank up, she washed her hands cringing at the red water flowing off her fingers. He lost quite a bit of blood, though he said he was feeling fine. She was pretty sure she caused him more pain than necessary because of her inexperience, but he gave no indication of that, sitting patiently through the whole procedure.

"Thank you," he told when she came back. He looked properly sheepish. "I would have done it myself if I hadn't been beaten so badly."

She exhaled with exasperation. "I'm not even sure if I want to ask you about who you were fighting this time. At least you lived."

"Yeah," he snorted. "You don't wanna ask."

"You hungry?" Karen asked after a few moments of silence. He nodded.

 

"Scoot over," she commanded Frank half an hour later. She found some left-overs in the fridge and handed them to him with an apologetic smile, but he seemed glad to be given as much. "I want to sit on the couch like a normal person. The floor isn't all that nice to sit on."

He complied immediately, grimacing. The stitches were pulling at his skin.

She poked at the lasagna dully, fatigue kicking in again. She was tired and wanted nothing but to go to sleep.

"You look like you are going to collapse," he spoke suddenly. She looked up to find him studying her steadily.

"It was a long day," she explained. He nodded thoughtfully.

"I will be out of your hair in a moment," he promised, but she shook her head.

"Do you have any place to stay at?" she asked. "You can stay and sleep on the couch if you need to."

"No, it's no problem. Besides, I wouldn't want to ruin your couch any further."

She smiled, exhaling and rubbing her forehead. "I'm glad you are more or less fine, Frank."

"Yeah," he responded after a moment. He put down the empty plate. "Thanks for the food. If I were you I would change the locks, just saying," he told her, standing by the door. "It was unnervingly easy to get inside."

He was out of the door before she could reply. She walked up to the door and grimaced at the door, biting her lip. Finally she pulled up a chair and blocked the handle.

She fell asleep immediately when her head hit the pillow.

**Author's Note:**

> The possibilty of the second chapter is high, as long as there will be any kind of feed back from you guys :^)  
> Anyways, I mostly know where I would like to go with this, but I'm open to suggestions I guess


End file.
